16.6.2013 “Surrounded”

Thoth charges the cameras and writes. LA stays in bed. “Did you not sleep well?” Thoth asks. LA does make-up on her eyes with rainbow colors. “Someone wrote a rude comment on our website,“ Thoth says. LA reads it. They talk about why so many people have reacted negatively to their “war busking” as they head to the subway and ride to the park. “I’ve been war busking for years since I came to the Angel Tunnel,” Thoth rants. “Against the swing dancers and their boom box, against the police and parks enforcement, against film crews, against commercial crews, photographic crews, against the Conservancy, against untalented greedy performers, against several choirs, against . . . but it’s always in self-defense.” At the tunnel, the Boyd choir is singing, and the Afrobats are performing at the bottom of the stairs. Another breakdancing group using a drum set is performing upstairs. LA goes upstairs to call parks enforcement. No one answers. The break dancers start their show. “They do exactly the same thing as the Afrobats!” LA murmurs. Thoth sets up their things on the floor. LA walks back towards the tunnel and sees a police car parked next to the break dancers. She runs up to the car. “Why don’t you stop them?” LA asks the officer. “Isn’t amplified music not allowed in the park?” “We’re looking that up,” the officer says. “We’ll speak with them when they finish.” “There’s another group down there who does the same thing,”